Chapter 8 - THE TRUTH ABOUT DANIELNobody moved.
Ryan stared at Samuel.
“What do you mean?”
Samuel struggled to speak.
“Daniel's cancer was real.”
He paused.
“But the night he died…”
His voice broke.
“He told me someone had poisoned him.”
Ryan felt his stomach tighten.
“Did you believe him?”
Samuel closed his eyes.
“I thought the medication had affected him.”
Diane whispered,
“I knew.”
Samuel turned toward her.
“You knew?”
Diane nodded.
“I found evidence.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because I was threatened.”
Samuel stood.
“By Andrew?”
Diane shook her head.
“No.”
She looked toward Marcus.
“By the people who still control this company.”
Marcus laughed.
“Enough.”
Samuel turned toward him.
“Where is Andrew?”
Marcus smiled.
“I don't know.”
Samuel stepped closer.
“You know.”
Marcus didn't answer.
Then the lights went out.
The room became black.
Ryan heard a chair scrape.
Someone shouted.
A crash.
Then silence.
Emergency lights flickered on.
Marcus was gone.
The window beside him was open.
Ryan ran toward it.
Twenty-three floors above the street.
No way out.
Then he saw something.
A small black device on the floor.
A recording transmitter.
Ryan picked it up.
Samuel looked at it.
“What is that?”
Ryan pressed the button.
A voice emerged.
Daniel's voice.
Older.
Weak.
But unmistakable.
“Dad…”
Samuel froze.
Ryan's eyes widened.
The recording continued.
“If you're hearing this, I was right.”
Samuel covered his mouth.
Daniel continued.
“They're going to tell you I was sick.”
A pause.
“I was.”
“But that's not why I died.”
Samuel's knees nearly gave way.
Daniel continued.
“Someone inside the company has been poisoning my medication.”
Ryan looked at Diane.
She was crying.
Daniel's voice continued.
“Dad, don't trust Andrew.”
Samuel stared at the floor.
“He knows about the trust.”
The recording crackled.
“More importantly…”
Daniel took a breath.
“He knows about the ring.”
Samuel froze.
“What ring?”
Ryan looked at him.
The recording continued.
“The ring Mother gave me.”
Samuel's eyes widened.
Daniel whispered:
“If they ever tell you Mother died five years ago…”
The recording stopped.
Silence.
Ryan stared.
“What does that mean?”
Samuel didn't answer.
His hands were trembling.
Diane looked equally shocked.
Then Samuel whispered:
“My wife didn't die five years ago.”
May you like
Ryan looked at him.
“She disappeared.”
